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Shown Here:Introduced in House (11/18/2010)

111th CONGRESS2d Session

H. R. 6435

To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out grant programs to provide low-income students with access to high-quality early education programs that promote school readiness, address the achievement gap for English-language learners, and encourage bilingualism.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 18, 2010

Ms. Chu (for herself and Ms. Lee of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out grant programs to provide low-income students with access to high-quality early education programs that promote school readiness, address the achievement gap for English-language learners, and encourage bilingualism.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1.Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Global Learning Early Education Challenge Fund Act”.

SEC. 2.Purpose.

The purpose of this Act is to provide low-income students with access to high-quality early education programs that promote school readiness, address the achievement gap for English-language learners, and encourage bilingualism.

SEC. 3.Findings.

The Congress finds the following:

(1) Research shows that high-quality early childhood education can help close the achievement gap and helps children succeed in school and later in life.

(2) Economists have found that high-quality early childhood education offers one of the highest returns of any public investment—more than a $7 return for every dollar spent.

(3) Disadvantaged children, who are more likely to start school behind and stay behind, are also the least likely to attend high-quality early education programs.

(4) The English-language learner population has grown from 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 since 1990. States not typically associated with non-English speakers such as Indiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee have seen a 300 percent increase in their English-language learner population.

(5) On average, academic achievement for English-language learners is lower than the academic achievement of their native English speaking counterparts. Research demonstrates that when properly implemented, dual-language programs consistently produce the highest academic outcomes, the best English proficiency, and the lowest drop-out rates.

(6) Many students enter schools fluent in languages such as Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Farsi, Arabic, and Khmer that are important to our Nation’s competitiveness and national security, but their heritage language is usually lost or underdeveloped.

(7) Our current education system graduates monolingual students that are not able to compete with other graduates from countries around the world, like Singapore, Canada and Europe.

(8) To provide every student with a world-class education we must address the needs of the fast growing English-language learner population otherwise our Nation will leave behind a growing number of the next generation of scientists, entrepreneurs, teachers, doctors, and many more professionals.

(9) Developmental bilingual education programs enable speakers of one language to achieve full academic proficiency in that language in addition to a second language and promotes high levels of academic achievement in all curricular areas.

(10) Second language immersion programs enable speakers of English to acquire proficiency in a second language that is important to their heritage or that will increase their global language capacity.

(11) Dual-language programs enable native English speakers and English-language learners to acquire advanced second language skills without compromising their first language.

(12) Research on brain development suggests the young brain is predisposed to learning languages. Retaining two languages can create greater tissue density in areas of the brain in control of memory, language, and attention. It also strengthens a child’s cognitive development and flexible language skills.

(13) Learning more than one language is a 21st century skill and provides students with economic opportunities across the globe and at home and would help our Nation compete in an increasingly global economy.

SEC. 4.Grants authorized.

(a) In general.—From the amounts appropriated under section 8, the Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis—

(1) planning grants to eligible entities to assist such entities to complete comprehensive planning to establish or expand a Global Learning Early Education program; and

(1) that receive funding under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.);

(2) in which at least 40 percent of the students enrolled are limited English proficient;

(3) that offer to students a diverse set of second languages that are important to our Nation’s competitiveness and national security, as determined by the Secretary;

(4) that leverage and integrate other Federal and State funds to carry out the activities described in this section and section 5; and

(5) that would qualify for, and comply with, the longitudinal research conducted under section 6.

(c) Planning Grants Authorized.—

(1) GRANT PERIOD.—A planning grant under this section may be awarded for a period of not more than 1 year.

(2) NONREWABILITY.—The Secretary may not award an eligible entity more than 1 planning grant under this section.

(3) APPLICATION.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible entity desiring a planning grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require.

(B) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted under subparagraph (A) shall, at a minimum, include a description of how the eligible entity proposes to use the planning grant funds under this section to develop a plan for establishing or expanding a Global Learning Early Education program, which shall include—

(i) a description of the activities for which the planning grant is sought under this section;

(ii) a budget for the use of the planning grant funds to carry out the required activities described in paragraph (4);

(iii) a needs and assets assessment that includes an analysis of the eligible entity’s existing capacity and infrastructure to establish or expand a Global Learning Early Education program and identifies any strengths, gaps, and barriers to achieving a seamless implementation or expansion of such program;

(iv) a description of how the program will provide for the development of evidenced-based or promising dual language, developmental bilingual, or second language immersion curriculum and instruction that is in alignment from preschool through grade 8; and

(v) such additional assurances and information as the Secretary determines to be necessary.

(4) REQUIRED USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity shall use a planning grant under this section to—

(A) plan for the establishment or expansion of a Global Language Early Learning program;

(B) develop a plan for incentives for bilingual teachers and other staff to be recruited and retained for the program; and

(C) develop a plan for parental and family engagement in the program.

(d) Implementation Grants Authorized.—

(1) GRANT PERIOD.—An implementation grant under this section shall be awarded for a period of not more than 5 years.

(2) RENEWALS.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity may receive more than 1 implementation grant under this section.

(B) CONDITIONS.—In order to be eligible to renew an implementation grant under this section for an additional grant period, an eligible entity shall demonstrate satisfactory performance with respect to uses of funds for the preceding grant period, as determined by the Secretary.

(3) APPLICATIONS.—

(A) SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION.—An eligible entity that desires to receive an implementation grant under this subsection shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

(I) The eligible entity will use grant funds under this section to implement a Global Language Early Education program.

(II) Instructional staff for the program will demonstrate competence in the areas described in clause (ii)—

(aa) by receiving bilingual certifications in such areas at an institution of higher education;

(bb) by receiving a State authorization to teach bilingual learners in a setting similar to a Global Learning Early Education program; or

(cc) by demonstrating competence in such areas in another manner approved by the Secretary.

(III) The Global Learning Early Education program will provide a family-child approach to engage families in an evidenced-based or promising way to support student learning and development.

(ii) AREAS OF COMPETENCE.—The areas of competence described in this clause are as follows:

(I) Assessment of young bilingual learners.

(II) Theoretical foundations of teaching young bilingual learners.

(III) Knowledge of first and second language acquisition theories and classroom applications that are developmentally appropriate.

(IV) Knowledge of sociolinguistic, cultural, and ethnic issues that influence development and learning of bilingual learners.

(V) Knowledge of diverse needs of bilingual learners and their families.

(4) REQUIRED USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity shall use an implementation grant under this section to—

(A) implement a Global Language Early Learning program;

(B) provide incentives for the recruitment and retention of bilingual and culturally and linguistically relevant staff and program leadership for the Global Language Early Education program, including high-quality professional development; and

(C) implement a plan for parental and family engagement in the program.

SEC. 5.Permissible use of funds.

An eligible entity receiving a grant under section 4(a) may use such funds to—

(1) provide payment to substitute teachers to enable staff and program leadership for the Global Language Early Education program to attend high-quality professional development or participate in planning and collaboration related to the program;

(2) develop and implement an evidenced-based or promising curriculum that integrates first and second language instruction with academic instruction at each grade level and across grade levels and provide stipends to staff of the program for such curriculum development;

(3) develop or identify research-based assessment systems for students in a Global Language Early Education program;

(4) develop or purchase bilingual teaching materials for language minority and language majority students that are research based and developmentally appropriate;

(5) provide classroom materials, equipment, and field trips related to the program;

(6) pay a facilitator to oversee and administer the activities funded with such grant;

(7) provide specialized instructional support for students;

(8) provide adult education to promote family literacy and oral language development; and

(9) provide for alignment and collaboration among Global Learning Early Education educators and other educators in the eligible entity for the creation of a coherent and integrated curriculum.

SEC. 6.Research Council.

(a) In general.—From the amounts appropriated under section 8 to carry out this section, the Secretary shall establish a Research Council to guide a research proposal and process, and structure a research design to research Global Learning Early Education programs carried out by eligible entities that have received a grant under this Act.

(b) Research content.—The research conducted under subsection (a) shall—

(1) compare approaches on teaching in a Global Learning Early Education program;

(2) determine best practices under the program to close the achievement gap with respect to students who are not achieving at the proficient level of achievement on State assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3));

(3) determine the academic progress and achievement of students who participated in the program;

(4) determine—

(A) best practices with respect to program development and teacher quality; and

(B) the best models of school infrastructure for the program; and

(5) develop unique metrics and assessments for evaluating a bilingual learner’s progress under the program.

(c) Composition.—The Research Council shall consist of 8 experts from the following fields:

(4) Classroom research with respect to language acquisition and experimental and quasi-experimental designs.

(5) Education Evaluation.

(6) Early childhood development.

(7) The field of teaching in a subject matter area that requires competence in the areas described in section 4(d)(3)(B)(ii).

(8) The field of administering a local educational agency.

SEC. 7.Definitions.

In this Act:

(1) BILINGUAL LEARNER.—The term “bilingual learner”—

(A) means a student who acquires 2 or more languages simultaneously or learns a second language while continuing to develop the student’s first language; or

(B) means a student who is limited English proficient, bilingual, an English-language learner, an English learner, or who speaks a language other than English.

(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term “eligible entity” means a local educational agency, Head Start agency, or a preschool that partners, for the purpose of achieving a more efficient and higher-quality Global Learning Early Education Program, with one or more of the following public or private entities:

(A) IN GENERAL.—The term “Global Learning Early Education Program” means a preschool through grade 8 dual-language program, developmental bilingual program, or second language immersion program, with an evidenced-based or promising curriculum and instruction that is in alignment from preschool through grade 8 and meets the following program requirements:

(i) Promotion of school readiness.

(ii) Addressing the achievement gap with respect to students who are not achieving at the proficient level of achievement on State assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)).

(iii) Encouragement of bilingualism.

(iv) Instruction in academic language and literacy in a first and second language.

(v) Language-rich instruction with an added emphasis on oral language development and vocabulary that immerses students in a full, interesting, relevant, and engaging curriculum that supports student exploration, critical thinking, problem solving, and interaction with and discussion related to students’ environment, world, and community.

(vi) A text-rich curriculum and environment reflecting both the first and the second language that engages students with books and printed texts.

(vii) The development of language through an enriched academic curriculum that includes access to language arts and math, history (including social science), science, visual and performing arts, and physical education.

(viii) An affirming learning environment.

(ix) Teachers and parents working together to support strong language and literacy development.

(x) Curriculum, support, and access to opportunities to develop a first and second language.

(xi) Strategies that support the transfer of skills and concepts from the first language to the second language.

(B) DEVELOPMENTAL BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.—The term “developmental bilingual education program” means an instructional program that enables English-language learners to achieve full academic proficiency in their first and second language and promotes high levels of academic achievement in all curricular areas.

(C) SECOND LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM.—The term “second language immersion program” means an instructional program that enables native English speakers to acquire proficiency in a second language.

(D) DUAL-LANGUAGE PROGRAM.—The term “dual-language program” means an instructional program that enables native English speakers and English-language learners to acquire advanced second language skills without compromising their first language.

(E) MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.—Under a Global Learning Early Education program, as long as the curriculum under the program is not interrupted—

(i) the preschool portion of the program may be in a separate location from the kindergarten through grade 8 portion of the program; and

(ii) the elementary school portion of the program may be in a separate location from the middle school portion of the program.

(5) HEAD START AGENCY.—The term “Head Start agency” means any local public or private nonprofit agency, including a community-based and faith-based organization, or for-profit agency designated as a Head Start agency by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 641 of the Head Start Act.

(6) HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.—The term “high-quality professional development” means professional development that includes—

(A) instruction on understanding how language develops in young bilingual children;

(B) instructional strategies for supporting early academic literacy through the elementary school grades;

(C) techniques for working in partnership with parents;

(D) sharing of best practices among teachers;

(E) opportunities to engage with experts in bilingual language development; or

(F) opportunities to allow teachers, in consultation with experts, to develop a cohesive dual language program with a consistent program design.

(7) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The term “institution of higher education” has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

(8) PRESCHOOL.—The term “preschool” means a publicly funded program for early learning to support the development of social, emotional, and academic development for children birth to age 5.

(9) SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL.—The term “specialized instructional support personnel” means school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and other qualified professional personnel involved in providing assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, therapeutic, and other necessary corrective or supportive services (including related services as that term is defined in section 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401)) as part of a comprehensive program to meet student needs.

(10) SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES.—The term “specialized instructional support services” means the services provided by specialized instructional support personnel, and includes any other corrective or supportive services to meet student needs.

SEC. 8.Authorization of Appropriations.

(a) In general.—There are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 to carry out this Act.